1986 Mass. State Police investigative review report on fratricide by Amy Bishop surfaces

Submitted by Matt on Mon, 2010-02-15 14:40

Fox shows it here. I have some questions about this report and I put them in the first comment of the story. Excerpt:

'To: First Assistant District Attorney John P. Kivlan
From: Trooper Brian L. Howe #1332 BLH
Subject: Accidental Shooting of Seth Bishop, White Male,
D.O.B. 4/9/68 At 46 Hollis Avenue, Braintree, Massachusetts on December 6, 1986.
Case: # 86-112-0910-0185

On December 6, 1986, this officer was directed by Detective Lieutenant James Sharkey to conduct an investigation into the fatal shooting of Seth Bishop at his residence of 46 Hollis Avenue in the Town of Braintree.

This officer contacted Captain Theodore Buker of the Braintree Police Department and was informed by Captain Buker that at approximately 1422 hours on December 6, 1986, the Braintree Police Department had responded to the report of a shooting a 46 Hollis Avenue in their town.

Upon arriving at the location, Officers Jordan and Murphy had observed the decedent lying on his back on the floor in a pool of blood in the kitchen area, with a large chest wound.
...
Captain Buker stated that preliminary investigation conducted by Officers Jordan and Murphy indicated that the victim had been shot by his sister, Amy Bishop (age 19), and that apparent cause of the gunshot discharge into the victim had been accidental in nature. Captain Buker further stated that indications were that Amy Bishop had been attempting to manipulate the shotgun and had subsequently brought the gun downstairs in an attempt to gain assistance from her mother in disarming the weapon.'

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Comments

This is not a report written by an officer to a superior *within* a police department but instead an investigation report written to an asst. D.A. by a police officer from a larger-scoped agency (Mass. State Police) outside the original reporting agency (Braintree Police), after that police agency's (ie, Braintree's) investigation was done. In short, this looks like a "review investigation" that the Mass. State Police were conducting to make sure everything was on the up and up.

What leaps out to me is that the report has a lot of references to something a staff officer of the original reporting department (Braintree) said. I have another question, and it is this: why was a state trooper, a line officer of the state police, asked, single-handedly, to conduct an investigation into a local dept's handling of a murder? I am sorry if I am not as versed in Mass. State Police investigative protocol as others may be but it strikes me that this is more the work of a detective or at least of more than one member of the Mass. State Police. It looks to me like the Mass State Police felt they had reason to ask questions but they handed the job to someone other than a State Police Detective. If handing smaller-agency review investigations to a single state trooper is standard for Mass. State Police protocol, then please, someone chime in. I just find it a little funny.

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Submitted by Matt on Mon, 2010-02-15 14:59

Something seems "hinky." I just can't put my finger on it, but something, or somethings, is/are not right.

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Submitted by MR on Mon, 2010-02-15 21:33

Remember the police are a government agency. They do not have any accountability to anyone and can make up their own rules and procedures. Police are on my top list of people that I do not trust.

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Submitted by Kris on Tue, 2010-02-16 16:29